Petition Collects 1 Million Signatures Against Suspension of UK Parliament

A petition posted on the UK Parliament's website, demanding not to allow the suspension of the House of Commons, surpassed the milestone of 1 million signatures on August 29. The collective message was registered on Westminster's website on August 28, following Prime Minister Boris Johnson's decision to suspend Parliament until October 14.

“Parliament cannot be suspended, and it cannot be prorogued unless the deadline for negotiations under Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty is significantly extended or the UK has abandoned its intention to leave the EU,” reads the text of the petition, which took less than a day to gather one million votes.

According to a survey conducted by YouGov on Wednesday, only 28 percent of respondents support the Prime Minister's action, while 47 percent oppose the suspension of Parliament. The survey included 5,700 participants.

Now, the government is obliged to respond to the collective petition, and it will later be discussed by Parliament. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the day before that the British Parliament would suspend its work until October 14. “We must continue to implement our domestic agenda, which is why we announce that the Queen's Speech will take place on October 14,” he said in an interview with Sky News on August 28.

Furthermore, Johnson denied the statement that the postponement of Parliament's sessions is intended to hinder Members of Parliament from blocking the UK's exit from the EU without a withdrawal agreement on Brexit.

As Johnson stated in a letter to Members of Parliament, they will have the opportunity to express their opinions on the legislative agenda proposed by the government. The House of Commons will be able to discuss the government's program, including its approach to implementing Brexit before the EU summit on October 17-18, and then vote on October 21 and 22, as reported by TASS.